Valance construction



Dec. 26, 1967 E. J. BELL VALANCE CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 C gune 14, 1965 52 Filed INVENTOR. EDWIN U'. BELL BY ATTORNEY United States Patent r 3,359,664 VALANCE CONSTRUCTIGN Edwin J. Bell, 1935 Portland St., Klarnath Falls, Oreg. 97601 Filed .Iune 14, 1965, Ser. No. 463,636 12 Claims. (Cl. 40--10) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in valance constructions, and more particularly is concerned with such a construction as associated with store shelving or other supporting or display fixtures.

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a new and novel valance construction designed to provide attractive installations and at the same time to provide an assembly which is constructed of interfitting parts capable of being manufactured as components in the factory and readily assembly on the job, thus reducing labor costs.

More particular objects are to provide a valance construction of the type described which utilizes extruded frame members facilitating assembly of the valance and support thereof on shelving or brackets and which employs means facilitating the installation of a decorative face panel.

It is another object to provide in a modified form of the invention a face panel having one or more windows or openings and means for supporting display signs in said windows, and more particularly to employ a novel arrangement of face panel and backing member in combination with a novel construction of display sign whereby the latter has a freely insertable, slidable connectionvtherewith.

Briefly stated, the invention comprises a valance construction which is arranged to be attached to shelving or other supports such as brackets. The valance construction employs basically a pair of frame members together with a face panel and a backing member, the said frame members and backing member being constructed and arranged to provide attaching support for the valance assembly and to provide for removable insertion of the face panel. Other embodiments, to be described, employ a windowed face panel associated with display signs arranged to be inserted in the windowed portions.

The invention will be better understood and additional objects will become apparent from the following specification and claims, considered together with the accompanying drawings, wherein the numerals of reference indicate like parts.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of conventional store shelving and showing a valance embodying features of the present invention installed thereon;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view similar to FIG- URE 2 but illustrating the attachment of the valance to bracket means rather than shelving;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary rear perspective View of the construction of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged cross sectional view also similar to FIGURE 2 but showing still another form of the invention;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary face view of the valance of FIGURE 6, taken on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 6; and

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 88 of FIGURE 7.

Referring in particular to the drawings and first to FIG- URES 1, 2 and 3, there is shown one particular type of fixture to which an embodiment of the present invention ice may be employed. Such fixture comprises a shelf unit 10 having one or more intermediate shelves 12 and a top shielf 14. This type of shelving is conventional, having a back wall 16, upright standards 18, and slots 20 vertically aligned with the standards for receiving lugs, not shown, on brackets 22 which are disposed on the underside of the shelves.

It is common practice to provide a valance unit on the top shelf 14, and one form of the invention, shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, is particularly designed for installation on such a shelf type fixture. This first embodiment is designated generally by the numeral 24 and comprises a top frame or trim member 26 and a bottom frame or trim member 28. As best seen in FIGURE 2, the top frame member 26 comprises a body portion 30, side walls 32 and 34 extending at right angles to the body portion in parallel relation, and a wall projection 36 extending parallel to the side walls 32 and 34 and disposed therebetween. Projection'36 has an end cross head or tongue portion 38 extending laterally on opposite sides of the said projection.

The top frame member 26 has a rearwardly extending horizontal flange or body extension 40 which serves to secure the said member on the shelf 14, the flange 40 having suitable apertures for receiving fastening screws 42.

The bottom frame member 28 is of substantially the same construction as the frame member 26 with the exception that it does not have the flange 40. Thus, the frame member 28 has a body portion 30, side walls 32 and 34, and the intermediate wall projection 36 with the cross head 38. The frame members 26 and 28 may comprise metal or plastic extrusions pre-cut to desired lengths as convenient for installation.

Forming a part of the valance 24 is a backing member 46 preferably comprising a rigid piece of material such as plywood, hardboard, or the like. This backing member is provided with upper and lower kerfs or grooves 48 in the forward face thereof and located selectively for receiving rearwardly projecting portions of the cross heads 38. Also forming a part of the valance is a face panel 50 having upper and lower kerfs or grooves 52 on the back surface thereof and selectively located for receiving forwardly projecting portions of the upper and lower cross heads 38.

The parts are dimensioned and arranged such that the backing member 46 and the face panel 50 are arranged to be slidably mounted endwise into the upper and lower frame members 26 and 28 respectively. Thus, the valance is readily assembled by endwise sliding movement of said backing member and face panel into the frame members. The backing member 46 in general comprises the structural connection between the two frame members, since it is desired that the face panel 50 be removable and capable of being replaced. That is, the component parts of the valance, except for the face panel 50, are the same in all installations, but it is desired that face panels 50 be provided with a wide variety of decorative face designs such as different wood grain patterns or other attractive surfaces. Thus, to customize a job, it is only necessary to provide a face panel surface desired by the customer.

In addition to serving as mounting and connecting means for the backing member 46 and face panel 50, the side walls 32 and 34 of the frame members 26 and 28 provide a top and bottom trim strip. It is noted in FIG- URE 2 that the walls 32 and 34 vary in height, and with this structure it is apparent that the bottom frame member 28 may have suitable end placement to have either its wall 32 or 34 facing the front. Thus a narrow trim strip may be provided at the bottom as shown in FIGURE or the member 28 may be turned end for end so that the wider trim strip 32 is disposed at the front.

Since the face panel 50 is generally provided in seections along the full length of the valance, it is desired to conceal vertical joints therebetween. This is accomplished by a trim strip 54, best seen in FIGURE 3, comprising a double channeled or H-shaped member for receiving opposed ends of panel sections 50. Trim strip 54 stands between upper and lower edges of respective walls 32 or 34 of the frame members 26 and 28.

Lighting means 55 having fluorescent light tubes 56 are generally associated with the shelving and may be secured to the underside of the top shelf 14. Such lighting means comprise a plurality of the light tubes which extend longitudinally of the shelf.

FIGURES 4 and 5 illustrate a valance 24a of somewhat modified structure. The valance 24a utilizes upper and lower frame members designated by the numeral 28 and having identical structure to the lower frame member 28 in the first embodiment. Valance 24a, however, was designed for mounting on brackets 58 rather than on a shelf, and for this purpose a filler strip 60, such as plywood, is inserted between the backing plate 46 and face panel '50 to provide a good anchoring body for screws 62 on the bracket 58. Thus, as in the first embodiment, the backing member 46 serves as the'connecting and tie member between the end frame members, with the face panel 50 comprising a removable part of the valance. In this embodiment it is apparent that the width of the trim, comprising a wall 32 or 34, at the top or bottom forwardly of the valance depends upon the mounted positioning ofthe frame members 28. In the FIGURE 4 embodiment, lighting means 55 may be mounted directly on the back side of backing member 46.

In the forms of the invention shown in FIGURES 2 and 4, the front face of the panel 50 may be covered with a decorative paper or any other facing 57, and to accomplish the desired slidable connection with the upper and lower frame members, the kerfs 52 on the back side of the panel 50 necessarily will be made deeper to accommodate the extra thickness resulting from the facing. In FIGURES 2 and 4, it is to be noted that the lateral spacing between the walls 32 or 34 and the central wall 36 is greater than the thickness of the face panel 50 to accommodate any extra thickness of the latter.

FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 show still another form of valance, designated generally by the numeral 24b. The top and bottom frame members 26 and 2-3 respectively, are identical in structure to those shown in the embodiment of FIGURES 1-3. In this embodiment, however, a backing member 46a and a face panel 5% are provided with elongated windows 64 and 66, respectively. In addition, the inwardly facing surfaces of the backing member 46a and face panel 50a are provided with kerfs or grooves 68 and 70, respectively, said grooves being provided longitudinally of the members 46a and Stia and disposed vertically between the grooves 48, 52 and the window portions.

Slidably mounted intermediate the backing member 46a the face panel 50a is a transparent sign supporting panel 72. This panel has upper and lower, oppositely projecting tongues 74 arranged to engage the grooves 68 and 70, thus providing a slidable, mounted support of the panel 72 in the valance. The sign supporting panel has a longitudinally disposed face recess '76 defined by acutely angled top and bottom edges 78 arranged to hold a sign '80 therein. The sign 80 comprises a flexible, transparent strip which may have suitable advertising media provided thereon and which has a slightly greater vertical dimension than the vertical span between the defining walls 78 of the recess. Thus, the sign 80 is readily installed by arcuately distorting it and clipping the longitudinal edges thereof into the walls '73.

In the embodiment of FIGURES 6, 7 and 8, light tubes 56 are capable of illuminating the sign 84 by shining through the windows 64 and 66 as well as through the transparent sign supporting panel 72. The sign $0 is of course readily changeable without removing the panel 72 from the valance.

The face panel and backing panel of the present valance may have multiple sections, with the joints between the face panels being concealed by trim stirps 54. In the embodiments of FIGURES 6-8, each of the sections of the face panels and backing members has a window therein. With reference again to the embodiment of FIGURES 6-8, it is noted that the windows 64 and '66 terminate short of the ends of their respective members and the light tubes 56 are shorted than the said panel sections. Thus, the full length of the window is spanned by a light tube, with the ends of the light tubes being disposed between the ends of the windows. Therefore, there will not be any darkened or shadowed areas in the windows.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a valance structure which permits the fabricator to make use of a very wide range of materials and facilitates easy assembly at the site. The face panels 50 or Stia may include any desired decorative finish, thus providing a customized job without the usual extensive work and labor coats involved. The valance may be produced with any vertical dimension desired, depending upon the vertical dimension of the backing member 46, 46a and the face panel 56, 50a.

It is to be understood that the forms of my invention herein shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same and that other changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

I. A valance construction comprising a strip-like upper frame member, a strip-like lower frame member, a backing member slidably connected longitudinally to said upper and lower frame members and serving to connect said members together in spaced relation, a face panel slidably connected to said upper and lower frame members, and means for securing said valance to a supporting member.

2. The valance construction of claim 1 wherein said means for securing the valance to a supporting member comprises a rearwardly extending flange on said upper frame member.

3. The valance construction of claim 1 wherein said backing member and said face panel are disposed in face to face spaced relation, and including a filler strip mounted in the space between said backing member and said face panel.

4. A valance construction comprising an upper frame member, a lower frame member, each of said upper and lower frame members having a longitudinal body portion and longitudinal, vertically extending front and rear wall portions, said upper and lower frame members also having a longitudinal, vertically extending wall projection disposed between said front and rear wall portions and forming with the latter a pair of longitudinally extending channels, a backing member received in one of said channels and connecting said upper and lower frame mem bers together in parallel spaced relation, a face panel connected between said upper and lower frame members and received in the other of said channels, and means for securing said valance to a supporting member.

5. A valance construction comprising an upper frame member, lower frame member, each of said upper and lower frame members having a longitudinal body portion and longitudinal, vertically extending front and rear wall portions, said upper and lower frame members also having a longitudinal, vertically extending wall projection disposed between said front and rear wall portions and forming with the latter a pair of longitudinally extending channels, a backing member received in one of said channels and connecting said upper and lower frame members together in parallel spaced relation, a face panel received in the other said channels, tongue means on said wall projection, means in said face panel defining a groove slidably receiving said tongue means for provinding a removable connection of said face panel by endwise slidable movement, and means for securing said valance to a supporting member.

6. A valance construction comprising an upper frame member, a lower frame member, each of said upper and lower frame members having a longitudinal body portion and longitudinal, vertically extending front and rear wall portions, said upper and lower frame members also having a longitudinal, vertically extending wall projection disposed between said front and rear wall portions and forming with the latter a pair of longitudinally extending channels, a backing member received in one of said channels, a face panel received in the other of said channels, tongue means on said wall projection, means in said backing member and said face panel defining grooves slidably receiving the tongue means in said backing member and said face panel for accomplishing a removable connection of said backing member and said face panel by endwise slidable movement, and means for securing said valance to a supporting member.

7. A valance construction comprising an upper frame member, a lower frame member, a backing member connecting said upper and lower frame members together in parallel spaced relation, a face panel connected between said upper and lower frame members, said backing member and said face panel having a window portion therein, a transparent sign support mounted in the space between said backing member and said face panel for supporting a sign in the area of said windows, and means for securing said valance to a support member.

8. A valance construction comprising an upper frame member, a lower frame member, a backing member connecting said upper and lower frame members together in parallel spaced relation, a face panel connected between said upper and lower frame members, said backing member and said face panel having a window portion therein, a transparent sign support mounted in the space between said backing member and said face panel for supporting a sign in the area of said windows, said sign support having tongue means and said backing member and face panel having groove slidably receiving said tongue means for providing a slidable support of said sign support between said backing member and face panel, and means for securing said valance to a supporting member.

9. A valance construction comprising an upper frame member, a lower frame member, each of said upper and lower frame members having a longitudinal body portion and longitudinal, vertical extending front and rear wall portions, said upper and lower frame members also having a longitudinal, vertically extending wall projection disposed between said front and rear wall portions and forming with the latter a pair of longitudinally extending channels, a backing member received in one of said channels and connecting said upper and lower frame members together in parallel spaced relation, a face panel, tongue means on said wall projection, means in said face panel defining a groove slidably receiving said tongue means for accomplishing a removable connection of said face panel by endwise slidable movement, said backing member and said face panel having a window portion therein, a transparent sign support mounted in the space between said backing member and said face panel for supporting a sign in the area of said windows, said sign support having tongue means and said backing member and face panel having grooves slidably receiving said tongue means for providing a slidable support of said sign support between said backing member and face panel, and means for securing said valance to a supporting member.

10. In a valance construction, a frame member arranged to support a depending panel comprising a body portion, longitudinally, vertically extending front and rear wall portions, a vertically extending wall projection disposed between said front and rear wall portions and forming with the latter a pair of longitudinally extending channels arranged to receive a pair of facing members.

11. The valance construction of claim 10 wherein said wall projection has oppositely extending tongue means for engaging the facing members.

12. The valance construction of claim 10 including a rearwardly projecting flange on said frame member for securing the latter to a supporting member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,190,958 2/ 1940 Vander Clute 40-16 2,317,192 4/1943 Hopp 40-16 2,935,804 5/1960 Duckro 4010 3,007,036 10/1961 Mills 38 FOREIGN PATENTS 744,612 1/ 1933 France.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

W. J. CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A VALANCE CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING A STRIP-LIKE UPPER FRAME MEMBER, A STRIP-LIKE LOWER FRAME MEMBER, A BACKING MEMBER SLIDABLY CONNETED LONGITUDINALLY TO SAID UPPER AND LOWER FRAME MEMBERS AND SERVING TO CONNECT SAID 